last year i got to like day 40, best shape of my life I believe but then summer came and I stopped. I tried to start fresh at day 1 in fall of `11 but my living situation doesnt permit. (2nd story apartment, a 6'3" 210lb man doing plyometrics gets noise complaints)

next year, I make sure I have a garage to do p90x in

Its rough man,

I Still have to do physical training in the AM, so i don't always have the energy to do it at night. I basically do the main weight days, and on the cardio days i go running at the track.

The first time i did it, i probably only did it about 40 days also. cuz it was hard as fuck. Ive made the decision at this point that I'm Never going to stop.

Its hard though. My main focus is running so Its very challenging to balance, getting lean continuously, getting strong, stacking on muscle size and definition while keeping my weight under 160, improving my run , and keep up with unit PT all at the same time.

putting on muscle and cutting at the same time is hard as hell. When you cut, you loose weight and energy, causing you to loose training power and muscle. so, my body is always changing from week to week.

As of now, I just finished another 90 days of P90X! So that pic is weak. Id post more, but i feel kinda weird.

Working out is a passion of mine, just so happens i do it for a living. Every once in a while i compete in all natural bodybuilding shows and train some clients to compete as well, however i dont confuse looking fit and being fit . I do my best to say what i mean, and mean what i say. Hats off to you for keeping it real
P90x is a great program, however any program can be just as effictive. It doesnt take intense workout programs to get great results. For some reason people think harder is better, i tell my people its smarter not harder. Everyone has different fitness needs, so fitness can be whatever a person needs it to be. Gentics and paying attention to how much you eat goes a long way, ask me how i know.

While I have no clue what my leg press is, looking at your other stats, you certainly are not the most in shape guy on these forums. I weigh within 2 lbs of you (im 5'9"), and on a 3 mile run, i would be at the finish when you got there, barely, but by a few seconds. Full range situps, I have never tried to do as many straight as I could, but I am not to bad, the pushups non stop, not a problem. The bench press, not a problem.
And I am not throwing that out there to knock you down a step. Just trying to show that in todays world/forums, don't make claims that are completely baseless.

And I honestly mean it in no way to try and knock you down. I recently (last 3 years) got into shape. I went from being the guy at the back of the pack at PT, to up front every morning. But there needs to be some humbleness to it all. And to realize, there is always something/someone better out there. You sound like the type that would say my dad can beat up your dad. And I am AF, not Army. But I am required to do both the AF and Army PFT each year due to my job. I maintain a 300 on the PFT and a 100 on the AF PT.

I would say I am probably older than you are though, so maybe it's my age talking.

You guys would leave me in the dust in a 5k, my best time is 23 minutes
I really dont push myself to lower my time, I just run to relieve stress.
Eternal, i dont think he came off as cocky, and I'm probably older than both of you guys.

I LOVE Beer... but i had to give it up when i decided i wanted to be in serious shape.

Ill keep this as basic as possible, and i won't even get into the facts on how it lowers your testosterone, and increases fat storage or the fact that is dehydrates you and your muscles that are trying to grow or the fact that is completely depletes your essential acids that aid or even create muscle growth.

at the most basic level of thinking about alcohol and fitness. If you get Drunk today or tonight are you going to work out in the AM? or is your workout going to be as intense as it needs to be?

I can probably guarantee i am one of the most physically fit people on this forum, and not because i am in the Army. The only way i can balance beer and looking the way i do, is to avoid it at all costs. And thats not because i have a hard time maintaining my weight. Its because thats what you need to do if you want to actually be shredded. If i am going to drink, its MAybe 2 beers in a month. But this is for people who are in extreme shape. If you are just trying to keep strong and look "ok" than id say 2-3 a week is alright.

Drinking beer while trying to get in shape is like eating pizza and a Coke after a workout or before bed. Makes no sense.

Not trying to sound rude, I know i do sometimes.

I am actually eating a 4 oz steak and a vegetable shake right now... so i guess I'm reacting a little hard. lol

Good Luck man.

Good response overall.

Alcohol has a TON of calories. It also makes you hungover and can make you unmotivated to hit the gym.

I would say 2-3 beers a month is a little extreme. I definitely know people who are ripped and drink a lot more than 2 beers a month (or week for that matter), but HPF 335 makes a valid point. Generally speaking, if you really want to be in amazing shape, boozing all the time will probably prevent you from reaching your goals.

There is science on both sides of the argument. Ultimately, it really depends on what you are trying to do, and how you are trying to do it.

There are numerous studies talking about the benefits of responsible alcohol consumption. A large portion of this is based around either wine, clear or light colored liquors, or various types of less processed beer.

There are also studies that do indicate that alcohol disrupts protein synthesis and does affect things like fatigue/energy levels and hydration, among other things.

Either way, the down and dirty of it is that much like everything in fitness, there probably is no one right answer. Ultimately, what holds true for one person does not always hold true for others, because human physiology varies so much from person to person based on genetics, living environment and brain chemistry. Go look around for someone or a couple people that you like, admire, or want to be like, and then do what they do.

On one hand, you have IFBB pro bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and Fouad Abiad who rarely drink, and advocate abstaining from regular alcohol consumption.
On the other hand, IFBB legend Ronnie Coleman was known to booze it up a lot and claims that vodka and coffee got him shredded.

For me, I can't drink more than two beers if I'm going to be lifting the next day; especially if I have a very heavy day planned. I just wind up going to gym and feeling lethargic. I sleep like crap when I've been drinking, which is largely the problem. I also have issues with hydration, particularly on leg day, so I have to hyper hydrate on Sundays. This is why I rarely drink. But this is just me.
My brother can get obliterated drunk and still work out well the next day.

Do what you want, but there are a couple things that both sides agree on:

- If you drink, drink in moderation
- Alcohol is a diuretic. Drink lots of water if you do drink
- Alcohol increases your chances of doing a fat chick